Preview: Sept 28-29: LETHBRIDGE at MANITOBA LETHBRIDGE PRONGHORNS (0-0-0, 0-3-1, OHT35 n/a)
MANITOBA BISONS (0-0-0, 1-2-1, OHT35 n/a)
Saturday, Sept 28th at 7:00 CDT at Wayne Fleming Arena, Winnipeg
Sunday, Sept 29th at 2:00 CDT at Wayne Fleming Arena, Winnipeg
Live Links:
➤ Video: [CanadaWest.tv]
➤ Audio: [UMFM 101.5]
➤ Friday: [Live Stats] ∞ [Hockey Tech]
➤ Saturday: [Live Stats] ∞ [Hockey Tech]
Manitoba Links:
➤ GoBisons: [Bisons hockey drops the puck on Sept. 28]
➤ GoBisons: [SEASON PREVIEW: Vets and a deep recruiting class mix for Bisons men's hockey]
➤ Social: [Twitter] ∞ [Facebook]
➤ CW: [Stats] ∞ [Schedule/Results/Links]
➤ LeagueStat: [Stats] ∞ [Schedule/Results/Links]
Lethbridge Links:
➤ GoHorns: [Men's Hockey Site]
➤ Social: [Twitter] ∞ [Facebook]
➤ CW: [Stats] ∞ [Schedule/Results/Links]
➤ LeagueStat: [Stats] ∞ [Schedule/Results/Links]
Other Links:
➤ USports: [Schedule/Links] ∞ [Standings]
➤ CW: [MHKY: Alberta tops preseason poll]
➤ CW: [Home Page] ∞ [Schedule]
➤ LeagueStat: [Media Stats] The season is about to start for real! Instead of the usual Friday/Saturday double-header, this will be a Saturday/Sunday affair. The Bison opponent will be the Hørny Ønes, a team against whom the Bisons have played their worst games in recent years. Consider this: the Herd is 7-7-2 over the last four years against both the Evil Monkeys and the Hørny Ønes.
This is as good a time as any to look at the new Lethbridge line-up:
Goaltenders:
29 Jack Burgart - 4 - Bemidji State (NCAA)
33 Nikolas Amundrud - 1 - Rosetown (Sr AAA)
35 Taz Burman - 2 - Nanaimo Clippers (BCHL)
Defencemen:
2 Danny Gatenby - 1 - Nanaimo (BCHL)
3 Dallas Valentine - 3 - Kamloops (WHL)
4 Joshua Patrician - 1 - Humboldt (SJHL)
5 Jeff Rayman - 3 - Vancouver (WHL)
7 Spenser Jensen - 5 - Moose Jaw (WHL)
19 Taylor Fisher - 3 - Selkirk (MJHL)
25 Cameron Trott - 3 - Alaska-Anchorage (NCAA)/ Vernon (BCHL)
44 Evan Wardley - 4 - Seattle (WHL)
Forwards:
6 Russell Maxwell LW - 4 - Seattle (WHL)
8 Ryan Chynoweth LW - 4 - Lloydminster (AJHL)
9 Dalton Sward C - 5 - Vancouver (WHL)
11 George King RW - 1 - Melfort (SJHL)
12 Jared Janke C - 1 - Campbellton (MHL)
14 Kyle Gordon LW - 1 - Okotoks (AJHL)
16 Landon Gross LW - 2 - Olds (AJHL)
17 Josh Borynec LW - 1 - Melville (SJHL)
18 Owen Guenter RW - 1 - Humboldt (SJHL)
20 Brooks Maxwell C - 3 - Red Deer (WHL)
21 Torrin White RW - 4 - Langley (BCHL)
22 Jordan Roy LW - 2 - Fort McMurray (AJHL)
24 Luke Coleman LW - 1 - Calgary (WHL)
26 Michael Clarke C - 1 - Humboldt (SJHL)
27 Michael Grant RW - 2 - Nipawin (SJHL)
34 MacKenzie Mindus LW - 1 - Grand Falls (MHL)
Departures:
4 Blake Orban D
11 Logan Mick LW
12 Sam McKecknie C
17 Clint Filbrandt D
19 Justin Valentino LW
25 Cameron Trott D
28 Derek Brown C
29 Garret Hughson G
33 Jonny Hogue G
34 Connor Sanvido C
47 Artsiom Kalashnikov F
Like the Bisons, this is a huge recruiting class. On paper at least, it is a much weaker one. They have lost their top scorer (Valentino) and two more of their top ten (McKechnie and Sanvido). Filbrandt and Orban were the core of their defence. Hughson was their starting goaltender. They also lost AK-47!
They have to pray that one or more goaltenders answers the call. Taz (back for his second season) had four WHL seasons and then finished in the BCHL. Amundrud's WHL career ended 4 years ago. Since then he has had two seasons in Junior A and one in Senior AAA. Burgart is transferring from Bemidji, where he played 3 games the last 3 years.
The defence lost quality, but still has six returnees. The two Junior A recruits are a cut below the players they replace.
Up front, the best recruits are
Coleman and
Clarke. Coleman has had 4 full seasons in the WHL and scored 20 goals last year. Clarke never played major junior, but did rack up the points in Junior A (28-43-71 in 57 games last year).
All-in-all, I don't see the Hørny Ønes improving much if at all on their 20 points from a year ago. Their pre-season record would indicate this. They lost twice to Red Deer College of the ACAC (3-2 in overtime and 6-3) and two more times to Mount Royal (6-0 and 3-2).
However, the CW coaches' poll (linked) has them tied with the Bisons in 7th. Here's the final vote total:
1. Alberta Golden Bears - 49 (7)
2. Saskatchewan Huskies - 41
3. Calgary Dinos - 36 (1)
4. UBC Thunderbirds - 29
5. Mount Royal Cougars - 28
6. Regina Cougars - 15
7. Lethbridge Pronghorns - 13
8. Manitoba Bisons – 13
My picks are:
1. Alberta
2. Calgary
3. Saskatchewan
4. Mount Royal
5. Manitoba
6. UBC
7. Regina
8. Lethbridge
I will look at each team in the CW in the upcoming days to compelete the outlooks.
ELSEWHERE IN THE CW MOUNT ROYAL COUGARS (0-0-0, 3-1-0, OHT35 n/a)
SASKATCHEWAN HUSKIES (0-0-0, 1-1-0, OHT35 n/a) Links:
➤ MRU: [Men's hockey 2019-20 season preview]
➤ UofS: [PREVIEW: Huskies open 2019-20 slate at home against Cougars] The Mutts finished first a year ago before losing the conference final to the Evil Monkeys. That still qualified them for the nationals where once again their only wins were against OUA teams.
En route, they eliminated the Bluegars in the CW semi-finals. So this presents as a redemption weekend for the Bluegars.
MRU had respectable pre-season results, a split against Bedrock U and a sweep of Lethbridge. Meanwhile, Sask played just two games, edging out Regina before being shutout by Alberta.
CALGARY DINOSAURS (0-0-0, 6-1-1, OHT35 n/a)
REGINA COUGARS (0-0-0, 1-3-0, OHT35 n/a) Links:
➤ UofC: [Curtain rises on 2019-20 season in Regina]
➤ UofR: [Cougars finish off preseason with road split at Manitoba] Bedrock U had a very good pre-season, in fact the best one in the CW in my opinion. They started by sweeping aside Red Deer College, then went on to win single games against Regina and Manitoba while gaining splits against MRU and Alberta. There is no doubt that Mr. Slate has put a lot of effort into getting the Dinos ready for the season with 8 games. If they want to finally break through into the Top Two they'll need a pair of wins in road series like this one.
ALBERTA GOLDEN BEARS (0-0-0, 5-1-0, OHT35 n/a)
U.B.C. THUNDERBIRDS (0-0-0, 3-3-1, OHT35 n/a) Links:
➤ UofA: [Golden Bears Hockey season preview]
➤ UBC: [T-Birds open Canada West season against defending champs] The Evil Monkeys lost a load of good players. However, they also had an impressive and bountiful set of recruits. Things took a turn, however, when newly recruited goaltender Griffen Outhouse signed an AHL deal with the Manitoba Moose. The Apes had three decisive wins in pre-season (6-2 over UBC, 6-1 over Manitoba, and 4-0 over Sask) and three close ones (two of which were OTWs).
The T-irds' only two games against CW opposition were those two against Alberta. Otherwise, they won their games against BCIHL and ACAC teams whilst losing their games against NCAA teams. UBC was the last CW team to update their roster page, so I have not looked into their roster too much. However, I have noticed that they have been short-staffed in the pre-season, dressing as few as 15 skaters in some games.
OUT EAST ONTARIOExhibition Games
Thu Sep 26
Laurier 1 Brock 2 :
LeagueStatThu Sep 26
Waterloo 7 W. Ontario 3 :
UWO S&RFri Sep 27 Concordia at Ryerson
Fri Sep 27 Guelph at Lakehead
Fri Sep 27 Laurier at York
Fri Sep 27 Queen's v Waterloo (at London)
Fri Sep 27 RMC at Windsor
Fri Sep 27 Toronto at Ontario Tech
Sat Sep 28 Concordia at Ryerson
Sat Sep 28 Guelph at Lakehead
Sat Sep 28 Nipissing at Laurentian
Sat Sep 28 Queen's at W. Ontario
Sat Sep 28 RMC at Windsor
Sun Sep 29 UQTR at McGill
ATLANTIC Regular Season:
Wed Sep 25
St. F.X. 7 Dalhousie 6 (so) :
AUS BoxscoreFri Sep 27 Dalhousie at UPEI
Fri Sep 27 Moncton at Acadia
Fri Sep 27 New Brunswick at Saint Mary's
Sat Sep 28 UPEI at St. F.X.
Sat Sep 28 New Brunswick at Acadia
Sat Sep 28 Moncton at Saint Mary's
Links:
➤ [USp Presto S&R]
➤ [OUA LS Daily]
➤ [AUS S&R]